uncertain memory
by Kris4
Summary: A chronically unconscious Aya + the reappearance of Sakura Tomoe + a pissed off Ken, + a shot Omi + a worried Youji + Schwarz = the reappearance of Ran and a new member to the Schwarz team.
1. Default Chapter

**_DISCLAIMER_**__: I DONOT own Wei, I repeat: I DO NOT OWN WEI. All of Wei belongs to Project Wei and/or Takehito Koyasu (I'm really not sure ^^;;; , but I do know it doesn't belong to me ::pouts:: ). This story is only for entertainment purposes, (you know, the "for fans by fans" type a' thing) and is not to be used to gain any type of profit. And most importantly, I'm only borrowing the characters, they don't belong to me (as much as I wish it where otherwise...::sigh:: SchuuSchuu, Raaaaaaan). There's gonna be shonen-ai (and possibly yaoi), so read at your own risk. You've been warned, so don't come screaming to kill me for traumatizing your childhood. Now on with the story...^^

  
  


Fading: Prologue

  
  


He took a step back, trying to regain the footing he suddenly lost. His right hand went up to hover over his forehead as he extended his left for balance. Swaying from left to right, and front to back, he managed to make it to the railing that borders the edge of the sidewalk, grasping it desperately when he got close enough. The world was spinning out of control as he looked around, his eyes dazed from all the bright, noisy and quickly shifting, all too colorful objects that make up the busy street of nocturnal Tokyo.

_"Mama, mama, that man's bleeding"_

He somehow caught that line through the din of voices and cars. Slowly, he became aware of the light tickling sensation on his upper lip, raising his right hand to wipe at it, he caught a flash of crimson staining his formerly clean leather gloves.

_"Are you alright, sir? Do you need help?"_

Another voice, closer, but sounded like it was coming through a wall.

_*Help. The others are waiting for me as back up! I need to...*_

He slowly let go of the railing _~ *I need to...* ~_ steadying himself a bit _~ *get to the park* ~_ and stepped onto the street, wiping at the increasingly warm trickling sensation at his nose _~ *all I need to do is cross the -- * ~_ His train of thoughts were broken off by a blare of horns, followed by a pair flaring of headlights.

He stumbled back a step to avoid the truck only to be in the path of another car. More blares of horns, more flashes of light, cars swerving aside to avoid him, him stumbling into another vehicle's path, dizzied by the light, the cacophony of horns, swerves of cars, and his own spinning vision.

He caught a glimpse of a girl trying to reach him, but it was a useless attempt, he was too far away physically and mentally. Darkness crept at the edges of his consciousness _~*I can't make it...*~_ his vision blurred and darkened _~* again...*~_. With that last conscious thought, he passed out, hitting the asphalt with no one to catch him....

  
  


Note: as you probably guessed, this : _~*...*~_ , indicates thoughts. 

Rants, fires, (dare I hope?) praises? Send them to me! 


	2. Chapter 01: Sudden Confession

**_DISCLAIMERS:_**__ I don't own any part of Wei, yadda yadda yadda. This is not written for any type of profit at all, blah, blah, blah. Therefore, I'm poor, so PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAASEE don't sue me.

**_WARNING:_**__ *Will* contain shounen-ai, *may* contain yaoi. Turn back now if you are forbidden by law or by parents read this type of material. 

Still here? Well, don't say I didn't warn you! (In other words, don't come screaming and yelling at me for corrupting your innocence (puh-lease! You wouldn't be here if you were worried. =P )

**_NOTE:_**__ This: _~*...*~_, indicates thought. _Italicized_ indicates flashback.

Now on with the story!

  
  
  
  


Chapter 01: Sudden Confession

  
  


A clash of metal. 

"Dammit! Where the hell's Aya!" Ken tore open one of the guard's throat with his bugnucks. 

"The target! Omi! The target's getting awa- ugh!" Youji fell forward from the impact of the kick in his stomach. "K'so!" he growled out while rolling out of the way of another kick. He uttered another curse as he flung his wire towards his assailant, strangling him as he pulled the wire taut.

The sound of a gun shot brought all attention to the target. Omi was on his knees, his left hand clutching his right shoulder as blood poured out of the bullet wound. The target, a middle-aged man, aimed for Omi's head, laughing hysterically, "Go to Hell!" Another shot fired. 

"Omi!" Ken and Youji yelled simultaneously. 

A muffled _thud_. "How?!" the target gasped, falling to his knees. His shot had gone wide, but Omi's dart found a snug home in the target's chest. With a cough, the target fell face down on the concrete path, the force pushing the dart deeper into his chest.

"Omi! Daijoubu?" Ken called, running to Omi alongside Youji.

"Nn! Watashi wa daijoubu..." Omi was breathing hard, trying to ignore the pain on his shoulder, and focusing on what to do.

"Baka! You're practically bled white! Come on!" Ken said as he hoisted Omi to his feet. "Let's take you home."

"Demo,...Where's Aya-kun?" Omi asked, glancing at Youji, who was looking around.

"Good question, Omi." Ken huffed. Omi could tell he was angry. 

"There's no time to stand here and wonder, I can hear sirens, and we need to take care of that wound of yours, Omi." Youji said with a forced smile, trying to hide his worry.

Indeed, the sirens were getting louder by the minute. Nothing to do but leave and wait for Aya at home.

  
  


*********************************

"Aya-san, daijoubu?" Sakura asked, placing a hand on Aya's.

"Aa." With that Aya drew back his hand from Sakura's and slid off the bed.

"A-Aya-san! Don't go yet. The doctor wants you to get a CT Brain..."

"It's not necessary, it's only a few drops of nosebleed..."

"A few drops! Look at you, the front of your shirt is practically drenched with blood!"

"I've lost more blood than that..." was Aya's reply, brushing pass Sakura towards the exit.

"A-Aya-san! Matte! Aya-san!"

"Nani."

"Your...bag." Sakura said after some thought, handing Aya his carrier for 'Shion.'

"...Arigatou..."

  
  


*********************************

"How's Omi?"

"Asleep."

"Oh."

"Where the hell was Aya today! He was supposed to back us up!"

"Ken, calm down, you'll wake the neighbors."

"Calm down!? Omi's shot because Aya wasn't there. YOU calm down!"

"KEN!"

Ken blinked, surprised by Youji's outburst.

"I'm sorry, I'm...nevermind...just, sorry..."

"Youji, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nevermind." Youji repeated, standing up.

"Youji!" Ken moved to block Youji from retreat.

"It's just that,...Aya's never failed us...I'm just worried about something happening to him." Soft admission....

The thought of something happening to Aya never crossed Ken's mind. He always thought Aya too strong, too good at what he does, to have anything happen to him. Now that Youji brought up that point...

Just as Ken was about to say something, they heard the front door open. Rushing to it, they found Aya slotting the chain-lock in place.

"Where the hell have you been, Aya!" Ken shouted, forgetting about Omi sleeping, and forgetting about his former worry for his fiery-haired leader.

"Nowhere." came the simply reply.

"Don't bullshit me, Aya!"

"Ken! Calm down!" Youji said, placing a firm restraining grip on Ken. "Aya, just tell us where you were. We were wor---"

Youji was cut off by Omi's startled voice, "Aya-kun! Is that blood!? Are you hurt?" Omi was tired, drugged by the painkillers, but that still couldn't keep him from noticing what the other two hadn't noticed.

"It's nothing." Aya said without a hint of emotion, pushing his way past Ken's glare and Youji's frown.

"Omi, go back to bed! You're _shot_, remember? Thanks to someone's _absence_." Ken spat out with as much accusation as possible.

Aya stopped at Ken's words. Pausing for awhile, as if collecting his thoughts, Aya then turned to Omi and said, "Gomanasai, Omi.... something... came up...."

Ken looked as if he was ready to blow at that. "Is that all you have to say, Fujimiya Aya?!" Ken demanded, wanting to punch the lights out of Aya, and would've, if it weren't for Youji's hold on him.

Omi frowned, "Ken-kun, I'm all right, Aya-kun's all right, I accept his apology, so let's just leave it at that."

Ken angrily pulled out of Youji's grasp, and stormed off to his room, slamming the door shut. Aya, Youji, and Omi where left in awkward silence. Then slowly, Aya made a move towards his room.

"A-aya! Chotto! Ay---" Youji was cut off with Aya's door slammed in his face.

"Youji-kun, do you think Aya-kun's hurt?" Omi asked after awhile.

"I don't know, Omi. Come on, let's take you to bed, it's way past your bedtime, kiddo." Youji said with a teasing smile.

Omi made a face and said, "I'm 18, Youji-kun. I'm not a kid."

"Hai, hai, hai, whatever you say, kiddo. Now let's get you to bed!"

  
  


*****************************

Back in his room, Aya packed his bloodstained leather coat into a box, and got it ready to be sent to his leather smith. (He can already see the bill for removing the bloodstains...) With that done, he changed out of the rest of his assassin gear and fell onto his bed with a tired sigh.

  
  


_"Aya-san, were you… were you on a…a…"_

_"It's no concern of yours…" _

_"Don't brush me off like that! Two years, Aya-san… For two years, Aya-chan and I thought you were dead. Where were you?"_

_"…"_

_"Aya-chan and I forced ourselves to believe you were alive, and waited for your return. But week after week, month after month,… Aya-chan finally left the country with a broken-heart. We sold the flower-shop and never returned to it, it was just too painful… Why, Aya-san? Why?"_

_Tear-brimmed eyes._

  
  


"K'so!" Aya cursed into his pillow, but he couldn't stop the replay of his 'reunion' with Sakura a few hours ago. 'Why' she had asked… "Why? Why what, Sakura?" Aya laughed softly, sadly, into the silence of his room. _~* Why had I broken my promise to return and explain everything? Or why am I what I am? *~_ A sob escaped his throat involuntarily, "Aya…"

  
  


*******************

Ken brushed pass Aya as if he wasn't there at all, Aya, in return, did not so much as lift an eyebrow at Ken. Omi and Youji glanced nervously from one to another. "Youji-kun, you think you can handle them while I'm in school?" Omi whispered to Youji.

"Do I look like I have a choice?" was Youji's response.

"Irashimase." Aya's voice broke up Omi and Youji's little conference.

"Aya-san!" came the enthusiastic response of an infatuated schoolgirl to Aya's cold greeting.

"What type of flowers do you want?" Aya asked coldly.

"Huh? Oh, uh...," the girl started, but spirit obviously dampened by Aya's tone of voice. "A dozen roses, if you please..."

"A dozen roses coming up!" Youji put in cheerfully, trying to relieve some of the tension in the shop. "That'll be..."

"Just give it her for 8,000 yen, Youji-kun," Omi called from the door. "See you all after school!" With that, Omi left the shop.

*******************

"Hey, KenKen! Give us a hand here will ya?" Youji called from the back of the shop, "We need to change the displays, they're kindda..dead." Youji took a glance at the displays they had out and sweatdropped.

"Heh, since when did _you _began noticing things like that?" Ken teased good naturedly.

"I'm hurt!" Youji pouted playfully at Ken's comment.

"Youji! Do you have the displays out yet?" Aya asked through the open back door.

Ken's eyes narrowed at the question. "You're not telling me that I'm doing something he ordered, right?"

"Like you said, KenKen, since when did *I* start noticing these things." 

Ken immediately took his hands from under the pot. The sudden increase in weight caught Youji by surprise, causing him to fall backwards, dropping the pot of purple roses. Youji's face paled visibly at the sight of shattered pot and scattered blossoms. "Baka, Ken! Aya really liked those flowers!" 

"Hn. Do I look like I care?"

"What's going on?" came Aya's voice. He looked from the not caring brunette to the nervous blonde, finally his eyes rested on the mess on the floor, his disapproval expressed only by a slight rising of his right brow. "What happened?" Aya asked, looking expectantly at Youji.

"Eh...Well, it kindda just...slipped?" Youji said after a few seconds, glancing at Ken. Aya's caught the look and shifted his gaze on Ken.

"I'm going to deliver the flowers." Ken said, dismissing Aya just like that.

****************************

  
  


Aya traced the edge of a purple petal with the tip of his finger. He had found another pot and repotted the roses. A sigh escaped his lips. _~*Where is Youji?*~_ Aya thought absentmindedly. His vision was becoming unfocused, as if he was looking at everything through a hazy fog. Aya rested his head on his arm over the table. The hand that was caressing the violet blossom dropped to the table abruptly as his eyes slid closed.

  
  


Youji was suprised to find his leader "asleep on the job" so to speak. Frankly, finding the ever-so-serious Fujimiya Aya sleeping like a baby on duty after a smoke-break was formerly considered impossible. Of course the operant word now is _formerly_. Youji was not going to let Aya live through this.

"Oi, Aya." Youji said, shoving Aya lightly. Youji raised a brow when the only movement from Aya is his head rolling to the left. Youji couldn't help but stare at the redhead, whose features softened with sleep. Youji shook Aya again, this time rougher than the last, partially to wake Aya...partially to shake some senses into himself. "Oy! Aya! Wake up!" Still, Aya didn't move. Youji raised both brows now, _*~Trying to ignore me, eh...?~*_ "Aya! Wake UP!" Youji all but shouted by his ear. "Alright! That's it! Get your ass off this chair!" and with that, Youji shoved Aya so hard that he slid off his chair. "K'so!" was all Youji could get out before rushing to catch the redhead. "Aya?" Youji shook the young man in his arms. "Aya, come on, this isn't funny. Aya?" Youji was getting worried. He patted Aya on the face, hoping to bring the pale-faced man back to conciousness. "Aya, please..." Youji was getting really worried.

Finally, to what seemed like forever to Youji, a soft moan slipped past the redheads lips. "Aya! Daijoubu?"

"Hn?" Violet eyes peeked from under heavy lids, "Youji?"

Youji breathed a sigh of relief _*~at least he recognizes me~*_. "Aya, are you alright?" 

Aya blinked a few times at the question. "Aya, are. you. all. right?" Youji took the time to articulate each word separately.

Aya, suddenly aware of the fact that he was in Youji's arms, blushed as red as his hair. "What do you think you're doing, Kudou!?" Aya demanded, scrambling to his feet. The sudden movement made his head spin like crazy. 

Youji stood up immediately, and steadied the redhead, who in turn, shrugged out of the helping hand. "I'm just trying to help Aya."

"I don't need you're help."

"Yeah, right." Youji said, rolling his eyes. "Could've fooled me..."

"Fuck off!"

"Not today! What the hell just happened?"

Aya sent an icy glare at Youji. "So I fell asleep, that's nothing new to you, Kudou."

"Asleep?" Youji met Aya's glare head-on. "I know _asleep_, and you weren't _asleep_...you were fucking _UNCONSCIOUS_! And _where_ do you think _you're_ going?" Youji demanded as he grabbed Aya's upper arm. "Our little discussion isn't over yet!"

"It is as far as I'm concerned."

"Oh no, not today!" Youji's gripped tightened. "I want answers."

"Fine! I don't know why or how I lost unconsciousness, you happy now?"

"How about last night?" Seeing Aya stiffen at the question, Youji pushed on, but softened his tone, "What happened last night?"

"Nothing. Why do you care?" Aya demanded stiffly, finally jerking his arm free of Youji's grasp, and promptly turning towards the door that leads to the living quarters.

"Because I do..." Youji replied so softly that Aya hadn't heard him. Consequently, he was shocked when he felt Youji's arms wrapping him in a tender embrace, with Youji's taller form spooned behind him perfectly. "Because...because I love you," Youji whispered into his ear, his arms tightening as if afraid Aya would vanish before him if he didn't. 

  
  


~to be continued~

  
  


Author's Rambles: Hi people! Sooo..., what do you think? (I think this is moving faster than I planned ^^; ) Please send me feed backs!

::sigh:: I'm finally done with Chapter One and I STILL don't have a title for this little ficcie yet ::sweatdrops::...suggestions anyone?

Does this clarify the prologue a little? (The prologue was very vague, yes, I know...@_@) Hopefully, you have an idea to where this thing is headed....or may that isn't such a great idea ^^; I dunno.

Kaze: look _idiot_, if you have nothing to ramble about, don't put anything down for it. Just my luck to have a mun like you...

::whimpers and cringes at Kaze's harsh words:: ouch! that hurt...;_;

Kaze: _don't *EVEN*_ start that with me! now that you're done with Chapter One, start movin' your butt back to Gundam Moon.

Nani? No breaks?

Kaze: ::glare of death:: remember what you promised Swallow-san?

Swallow-_san_?? How come you don't call _ME_ 'san'.

Kaze: ::mock pondering:: i dunno, hmm.... maybe because YOU'RE A BIG BAKA! Now get moving!

But I'm not done rambling yet! ::whiny protest::

Kaze: I'll take over. ::blows Kris to the Gundam Moon fanfic::

::chibi-sized self gets blown away::

Aya: Hey! You can't do that! What about us?

Kaze: -_-...what about you? ::glare of death::

Aya: ::glares katanas back at her::

^^;;;;

Youji: ::wraps arms around Aya's neck:: Ne, Koibito...Cuddles doesn't work effectively enough is a glare ^_~

Kaze: ::bursts out laughing:: CUDDLES!?!?!? ::bursts out laughing some more...::

::sweatdrops like crazy::

Aya: ::fuming:: 

Kaze: ::glares at Kris:: what are you doing over here -_-...

ah heh ::too scared to sweatdrop, so scurries away::

Aya: how dare you?

Youji: aww... there there, it's alright Koi, i know you want me badly, but what's a few days?

Aya: _NANI?!?!?_ Kudou Youji, _SHI-NE!!!_ ::chases after Youji with the katana 'Cuddles'::

Youji: Eep! ::runs away::

Kaze: ::smirks at the two:: well, send all praises to me and all flames to Kris. Ja! ::lets the curtains fall::

Youji: :: emerges from curtains, out of breath:: must ~wheeze~ stop ~wheeze~ smoking ~WHEEZE~

::hears _Kudou Youji, Kudou Youji, Kudou Youji, Kudou Youji, KUDOU YOUJI!_ _SHI-NE!!!_ from the other side of the curtains......::


	3. Chapter 02: Misunderstanding

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own Weiss, neither in part nor in whole. (I would buy the Weiss boys, but I need to save money for AX, so please don't sue me u.u;; )

  
  


WARNINGS: inching into the yaoi world (finally...), maybe OOC-ness? (I dunno, you tell me...), a bit of confusion in Aya's perspective (I tried to make it clearer...hehehe u.u; ), sap? (do you even count that as a bad thing? Oh well, I warned you nonetheless...), erm... Raiha-chan says angst...i dunno, is there (frankly, angst is the term that I'm not quite clear on...so... I quote Raiha-chan u.u;;; gomen ne, Raiha-chan...), I wrote the first little part of this in Drama class... (oh boy... -_-;;....)

Thoughts will be expressed like _'so'_ (in other words, _'italized' _)

I think that's all there is to warn you about, so...

Happy Reading! ^^

___________________________________________________________________________

  
  


Uncertain Memory

Chapter 2: Misunderstanding

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Because... because I love you." There, I had said it, and I know he heard me too. I can tell: his already agitated form tensed even more, until it feels like I'm holding a life-size statue in my arms instead of a living, breathing, _beautiful_ human being. I sighed in defeat... how could I expect him to love me..._me?!_ I murdered the one I claimed to love for God's sake!

I felt the beginning of tears forming at the corner of my eyes as I slowly released him from my embrace. No. Can't show him my tears... I can just laugh it off and say it's only a joke as long as I don't cry... can't I?

Who am I kidding... Aya was the last link I had to life... to my will to live. But no more now, what do I have to live for if even he hates me?

"I'm sorry," I whispered, keeping my head bowed so he couldn't see my tears. "I'm sorry," I repeated again, backing away from him.

  
  


*********************************

He's..._sorry?_ Yes, you would be wouldn't you, Youji. I didn't even realized I had voiced that thought until I hear Youji say "Aya, I didn't..." but I mentally blocked off the rest of the sentence, not wanting to hear his excuses. Excuses for being sorry to have loved me. My head hurt too much to try to make sense of his words...

_'Heh, there's no need to make excuses, Youji --'_

"Aya! Are you even listening to--"

_'There's only one reason why you're sorry, one simple reason:--'_

"Aya, please... listen to me that's not what I meant --"

_'I don't deserve to be loved.'_

I started walking again, towards the back room, barely registering Youji's plead for me to stop. Stop? I can't stop. I need to make it to the sanctuary of my room before my mask shatters...just like Youji's "I'm sorry" shattered the last hope for love in my heart.

"Aya, please listen to me!" Youji started again, grabbing my arm.

"Youji, let go!" I said forcefully, my voice colder than I ever remembered it to be, and wrenched my arm out of his grasp.

  
  


**********************************

All I can do is stare stupidly at his retreating form, retreating from concern--concern from me.

"Aren't you going to go after him?"

I whirled around to the voice and found Ken standing at the door way of the flower shop. "Wha-what?" I stuttered.

"Don't you know Aya's thinking process by now? Your apology meant something completely different from what you've meant it mean."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Kenken," I retorted sarcastically, taking out my frustrations on him.

"Well, Youji, if you had known it all along, then why haven't you went after him already?"

I opened my mouth to throw another sarcastic remark, but the thought that suddenly entered my mind distracted me: How did Ken know what happened? "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," he replied with a sly grin. "You guys were just a little too preoccupied to noticed." 

I could've sworn his grin was getting wider by the minute. Again, I opened my mouth to speak, and again, I was interrupted, but this time by Ken and not my thoughts. "Youji, stop imitating a fish and get your ass in there. If you let the misunderstanding sit, it's just gonna get worst for the both of you."

"I know that."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I was going to ask you to watch the shop while I go talk to Aya," and with that said, I turned around and headed towards the backroom as well, determined to get my intended message across to that pale redhead.

  
  


TBC 

  
  


POST-FICCIE NOTE: Wellllll? How'd you people like it? (What's that? Did I hear you say "A LOT!"? ^^; ) Feedbacks people, I need lots and lotsa feedbacks to keep me going!

~Kris


	4. Chapter 03: The Second Disappearing Act

PRE-FICCIE RAMBLINGS: For all of you who's been waiting forever for this part, I'll cut it short:

I'm sorry and HAPPY READING!

NOTE: Thoughts will be expressed like _*so*_, and com-link transmissions will be expressed like so.

  
  
  
  


Chapter 03: The Second Disappearing Act

  
  


Knock.

Knock knock.

No response.

"Aya!" the lanky blonde man pounded at the stubborn door, trying to get a response from the even more stubborn occupant. "Aya! Won't you even give me a chance to explain??" 

_*Not even my hardest to get dates were this stubborn!*_ was the sudden thought that flashed his through his mind. With a sigh, Youji called the redhead's name again, but was interrupted by Omi.

"Youji-kun! Aya-kun! Come downstairs! Ma---"

"NOT NOW, Omi!" Youji growled out and was about to turn his attention back to Aya --- or more like Aya's door---when Omi call again.

"But, Youji-kun! Manx and Birman are here!"

*****************

I can feel Ken's questioning look on me already as I was coming down the stairs, but I ignored him as I followed behind Aya. Speaking of whom, managed to brush past me as if I didn't exist! 

I was hoping to be able to get a seat beside him, but he probably read my mind, 'cause he just took the seat at the computer. Since I obviously cannot "squeeze in" beside him, I moved to sit at the empty seat beside Ken.

"Well?" Ken whispered to me.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you think?" I replied, not bothering to keep my voice lowered. I can feel Aya raising an eyebrow at me, but I couldn't give a damn at the moment.

"Well, excuse me for caring!" Ken huffed.

I know I shouldn't have used that tone of voice with Ken, well.. like he said, he was only caring. My train of thoughts was interrupted when Omi entered our mission room with Manx and Birman. Heh, the poor boy looked so confused when he found his precious computer seat occupied by a certain redhead, but he knew better than to question, so he sat down on the stairs instead. 

  
  


********************

Stupid Youji. He just has absolutely no clue how to approach our "oh-great-redheaded-leader." And when his attempts fail, what does he do? He takes it out on people who were just trying to help! Namely, me.

Gyah! I'll have to deal with him later though, after our mission. With Manx *AND* Birman here, we can be sure that this is a) a pretty big assignment, b) a very dangerous assignment, or c) a combination of both. 

Manx pops in the video while Birman talks about the basic "charges" against this target. The video starts playing and she stops talking to let us focus on the video:

Plenty of clips of bloody victims, plenty of clips of news of the official charges the target has managed to evade, plenty of unofficial charges of crimes there's never enough evidence of, and finally, with the computer generated "Persia" ending the clip with his usual quote "White hunters of the night, hunt the tomorrow of these dark beasts!" ((Erm... is this right? please correct me if I'm wrong --Kris))

The video's shut off. "Everyone in?" Manx asks. And of course, we all "nod our heads" like we always do.

"Good," said Birman, passing each of us a file about the target and the mission in general. "Here are the details that you need to keep in mind."

I briefly glanced over the information.

Tch. Of *course* they'd give us the details after we agreed to take the job!

  
  


********************

"Sick bastard," I mumbled under my breath when I saw the details of the stuff she does that the police has evidence on, and the even more gruesome details of the stuff the police doesn't have enough evidence on. 'Officially,' the target is know to be a drug dealer. The 'unofficial' stuff, the stuff the police doesn't have evidence on, the stuff that's the cause for us to kill her, is that she makes and tests her own newly developed, *unstable* drugs on children that she managed to get addicted to drugs. Some of the luckier ones survived these new drugs with severe brain damage, others...

Quickly finishing up the charges Kritiker has against him, I flipped to the pages about the details on the mission itself... and that's when I understood why *both* Birman and Manx came. 

Considering the amount of personal guards the target has around herself 24/7, the labyrinth-like structure that is her home, and the tight, unvarying schedule of 'from home to work, from work to home,' this is basically a suicide mission for the inexperienced. We're lucky though, we're not inexperienced, so our survival rate is slightly higher, according to my calculations we have about a 0.01 out of 10 chance of surviving this mission. Nope, this mission isn't impossible... it's just right next to it.

  
  


********************

Four shadowed figures split paths in pairs. Abyssinian had just given out the last of the last minute instructions, and now Weiss set off in their predetermined pairs of Bombay+Siberian and Abyssinian+Balinese, at the insistence of Siberian of course, to complete their assigned tasks before "the kill."

The four had agreed that the best place to strike will be when their target is traveling on a strip of isolated road on her way home. Bombay and Siberian's job was to blow up the drawbridge that leads to the targets mansion, blocking her source of reinforcement and way of retreat. Balinese and Abyssinian's job was to wait for the best time to "swoop down for the kill" so to say, or at least keep the car's occupants occupied while Siberian and Bombay comes to back them up.

  
  


"Ne, Ken-kun," Omi started, "why'd you insist on pairing up with me?"

Ken's hands stopped their work at the question. "You don't like being partnered with me?"

"Ie! That's not what I meant!" Omi replied quickly, turning to look at Ken, but unfortunately Ken had went back to his work. "I mean, you don't usually care who you got paired with so I was just wondering..." he trailed off. "You're not mad....are you?"

Suddenly, Ken turned around, grinning, "'Course not, Omi."

Omi sweatdropped at Ken. "Good...," Omi said, a bit uncertainly.

Silence followed, both assassins continued on with their work until....

"GYAH!"

"Shh! Ken-kun! Are you afraid no one will know we're here?!"

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I insisted to pair Ay--"

"Abyssinian!" Omi corrected.

"Abyssinian," Ken repeated sarcastically. "Like I was saying: Aren't you the least bit curious?"

Omi finished up the last bit of his work, and moved over to finish Ken's... "... Alright, why?"

A smile immediately lit up his face, "Didn't you notice that they haven't been talking to each other since the mission?...Unless necessary of course but---"

"That's what they always do...," Omi cut in half-heartedly.

"Well... maybe. But no this time!"

"Really? How so?" Omi finished up the last of the wiring and looked at Ken questioningly.

"Youji confessed to Aya today!"

Omi's eyes widened considerably, "Hounto ni??"

Ken nodded vigorously in the affirmative.

This is definitely news to Omi. Who would've thought that Youji-the-womanizer would end up falling for Aya? But at the moment, something more is bothering him. "Ken-kun," Omi started, forsaking the use of codenames, "are you nervous?" 

Ken remained silent.

"You don't usually talk about other things _*even if it's things as interesting as Youji falling for a man*_ when you're on a mission." Omi paused for a second, "Is something wrong?"

Ken heaved a sigh, "I don't know Omi, I don't know. But..."

"But?"

"It could be because of the last mission." Ken continued quickly at Omi's disapproving look, "I just have a bad feeling about this mission that's all."

"Ke--"

Bombay, the target just entered the 'war-zone,' in 3 minutes, detonate the explosives.

By the end of the transmission, the assassins Bombay and Siberian had replaced Omi and Ken.

"Show time!" Siberian muttered.

  
  


********************

"...in 3 minutes, detonate the explosives," I finished my order and severed the connection.

"Abyssinian, about today---"

"Not now Balinese!" I interjected before Youji could continue.

"But...!"

"..."

"Aya!" Youji hissed at me.

Lucky for me, the sound of explosion echoed through the night at that moment, signaling the beginning of out mission. "Let's go!"

  
  


*******************

Bo---ay! Ha-- seen Abys---ian..

"What?!" I screamed into the com-link as I ran for my life.

Seen--Aby----

"I can't understand you, Balinese! You're breaking up!"

"What's wrong Bombay?" Siberian shouted to me.

All I could manage to do is shake my head . 

Aya was the one who finished off the target. The kill itself went surprisingly uncomplicated, it's what happened after the kill that brought trouble. It really isn't due to our miscalculation though: the target's boyfriend had suddenly decided to send another team of bodyguard after her that night... and everything turned into a mess from that.

Ken pulled me into a dark, well-hidden alley suddenly, making me lose my balance. I felt his hand clamp over my mouth to silence my yelp, and before I could regain my footing, we scrambled into the shadows.

"Shit! Where the hell are they?" I heard the leader of our pursuers bark out.

Mumbles answered his curses before he decided to keep going.

It was a full ten minutes of staying put in the shadows before we decided that it was safe to leave the alley.

"Come on, Siberian!"

"What?"

"I think something happened to Abyssinian!"

"You mean when Balinese contacted you...?"

I nodded, "Let's go to the safehouse, I hope they're there already."

  
  


********************

Dammit! Where the hell did Aya go?

How many times had I asked myself that question already? I already forgot.

  
  


I was lucky I managed to get out of that place in one piece... well, minus the few cuts and scrapes that I got from dodging bullets, as well as the one bullet wound. Maybe Weiss is in some sort of bad luck streak: first it's Omi; then it's me. And I haven't even counted that this is the *second* time Aya's disappeared during a mission... at least this time, he finished his job. But still... WHERE THE HELL *IS* HE??!

As I was about to pull out my hair, I heard the door creak open, and my first thought ---instead of being 'did someone follow me' ---was "Aya?"

"Youji-kun!"

"Youji!" I heard two voices pipe up at the same time.

Oh, it's only Omi and Ken.

"Where's Aya-kun?"

"That's what I want to know!" I snapped back.

  
  


**TBC**

  
  


POST-FICCIE RAMBLINGS: Kon'nichi wa, min'na-san! ::bows:: I'm sorry this part took so long... well, I'm a very big procrastinator ^^;; gomen gomen. Aside from that, I also have 3 other fics I'm working on at the same time. (There's a lesson to be learned from this: Never EVER work on more than one fic at a time.)

Erm... make that 4 fics (since this newest one is gonna be a one-shot... which somehow always takes forever for me.x__x;;) ::sigh:: At this time, I take this chance to thank everyone who were patient with me (Especially to Shannon, she's sent me e-mail since I first posted this fic, and who has also just recently sent me another e-mail since my last posting...which was a looooooong time ago. I thank her for motivating me to hurry up w/ this chapter... Arigatou! ^^)

  
  


At this point of the ramblings, I ask what I always ask of my readers: C&C please! Onegai!!

Ja for now! 

  
  


~Kris


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